This book focuses on the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships seem natural and ...
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This book focuses on the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships seem natural and which do not, is based on fieldwork (conducted in the early 1990s), in three Philadelphia churches: Oak Grove Church, Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Church of Christ. The data drawn from that fieldwork suggests that in the early 1990s, Bible‐carrying Christian churches tended to naturalize (to various degrees) the authority of heterosexuals and men. The data also suggested that under certain (relatively rare) circumstances Bible‐carrying Christian churches denaturalized the authority of ministers, corporations, and nation‐states.Less

Bible-Carrying Christians : Conservative Protestants and Social Power

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

This book focuses on the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships seem natural and which do not, is based on fieldwork (conducted in the early 1990s), in three Philadelphia churches: Oak Grove Church, Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Church of Christ. The data drawn from that fieldwork suggests that in the early 1990s, Bible‐carrying Christian churches tended to naturalize (to various degrees) the authority of heterosexuals and men. The data also suggested that under certain (relatively rare) circumstances Bible‐carrying Christian churches denaturalized the authority of ministers, corporations, and nation‐states.

Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single ...
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Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single mothers in the early 20th century to a legitimate and culturally accepted social need for ordinary families—and a potential responsibility of government—by the 1950s.Less

A Mother's Job : The History of Day Care, 1890–1960

Elizabeth Rose

Published in print: 1999-03-04

Using Philadelphia as a case study, this book explores the history of day care from the perspective of families who have used it, tracing day care's transformation from a charity for poor single mothers in the early 20th century to a legitimate and culturally accepted social need for ordinary families—and a potential responsibility of government—by the 1950s.

This chapter begins with a discussion of the need to re-vision political mobilization and interest group activity through the lens provided by politicized urban neighborhoods. The scholarly emphasis ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the need to re-vision political mobilization and interest group activity through the lens provided by politicized urban neighborhoods. The scholarly emphasis on formal organization, resource mobilization, and policy strategies often obscures low-income residents' active political engagement with a full range of quality-of-life issues, from graffiti, vandalism, and illegal billboard advertisements to aggressive drug dealing, hate crimes, and gun violence. The chapter details the interest group environment on the crime issue in two large urban locales, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. At the urban level—unlike the state and national levels—this chapter reveals a stunning array of broadly focused citizen groups that are active and regular participants in crime control politics. These groups range from formal organizations, such as long-standing community councils, to informal and new organizations formed in the aftermath of tragic, violent crimes. They interact with lawmakers through legislative hearings but also through a wide range of informal contacts. In contrast, police and prosecutors are more limited in their interaction with legislators, which shifts problem definitions and policy frames away from punishing offenders and toward broader social problems facing high-crime communities.Less

Crime, Law, and Group Politics in Two Urban Locales

Lisa L. Miller

Published in print: 2008-08-28

This chapter begins with a discussion of the need to re-vision political mobilization and interest group activity through the lens provided by politicized urban neighborhoods. The scholarly emphasis on formal organization, resource mobilization, and policy strategies often obscures low-income residents' active political engagement with a full range of quality-of-life issues, from graffiti, vandalism, and illegal billboard advertisements to aggressive drug dealing, hate crimes, and gun violence. The chapter details the interest group environment on the crime issue in two large urban locales, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. At the urban level—unlike the state and national levels—this chapter reveals a stunning array of broadly focused citizen groups that are active and regular participants in crime control politics. These groups range from formal organizations, such as long-standing community councils, to informal and new organizations formed in the aftermath of tragic, violent crimes. They interact with lawmakers through legislative hearings but also through a wide range of informal contacts. In contrast, police and prosecutors are more limited in their interaction with legislators, which shifts problem definitions and policy frames away from punishing offenders and toward broader social problems facing high-crime communities.

This chapter examines religious discourse in mid-century America, which was characterized by unprecedented ecumenism and surprisingly widespread praise for integration. Beginning in the mid-1740s, ...
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This chapter examines religious discourse in mid-century America, which was characterized by unprecedented ecumenism and surprisingly widespread praise for integration. Beginning in the mid-1740s, religious writers stressed the common principles that Protestants of all denominations shared. During the same period, colonial institutions of many types declared themselves “open to all parties” — by which they usually meant all religious parties. Extended accounts of the Free Mason movement, the legislative assemblies of New York and Philadelphia, and the fight for control of King’s College (Columbia University), demonstrate a growing consciousness of religious diversity and the increasing priority accorded to interdenominational cooperation.Less

Open to All Parties : The Ordeal of Religious Integration

Chris Beneke

Published in print: 2006-11-01

This chapter examines religious discourse in mid-century America, which was characterized by unprecedented ecumenism and surprisingly widespread praise for integration. Beginning in the mid-1740s, religious writers stressed the common principles that Protestants of all denominations shared. During the same period, colonial institutions of many types declared themselves “open to all parties” — by which they usually meant all religious parties. Extended accounts of the Free Mason movement, the legislative assemblies of New York and Philadelphia, and the fight for control of King’s College (Columbia University), demonstrate a growing consciousness of religious diversity and the increasing priority accorded to interdenominational cooperation.

New Philadelphia, Illinois, was founded in 1836 by Frank McWorter, a Kentucky slave who purchased his own freedom and then acquired land on the prairie for establishing a new—and ...
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New Philadelphia, Illinois, was founded in 1836 by Frank McWorter, a Kentucky slave who purchased his own freedom and then acquired land on the prairie for establishing a new—and integrated—community. McWorter sold property to other freed slaves and to whites, and used the proceeds to buy his family out of slavery. The town population reached 160, but declined when the railroad bypassed it. By 1940, New Philadelphia had virtually disappeared from the landscape. This book resurrects McWorter's great achievement of self-determinism, independence, and the will to exist, describing a cooperative effort by two universities, the state museum, the New Philadelphia Association, and numerous descendants to explore the history and archaeology of this unusual multi-racial community.Less

New Philadelphia : An Archaeology of Race in the Heartland

Paul Shackel

Published in print: 2010-11-16

New Philadelphia, Illinois, was founded in 1836 by Frank McWorter, a Kentucky slave who purchased his own freedom and then acquired land on the prairie for establishing a new—and integrated—community. McWorter sold property to other freed slaves and to whites, and used the proceeds to buy his family out of slavery. The town population reached 160, but declined when the railroad bypassed it. By 1940, New Philadelphia had virtually disappeared from the landscape. This book resurrects McWorter's great achievement of self-determinism, independence, and the will to exist, describing a cooperative effort by two universities, the state museum, the New Philadelphia Association, and numerous descendants to explore the history and archaeology of this unusual multi-racial community.

Asbury’s physical breakdown in 1793 offered him the opportunity to reconnect with a group he had neglected for several years, African American Methodists. As a result, he came to realize that they ...
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Asbury’s physical breakdown in 1793 offered him the opportunity to reconnect with a group he had neglected for several years, African American Methodists. As a result, he came to realize that they were often better off meeting by themselves, apart from white supervision. Richard Allen’s ministry in Philadelphia offered an example of what black Methodists could accomplish. Born a slave, Allen earned his freedom after his master had been convicted of the moral evil of slavery by Freeborn Garrettson. In a famous incident, Allen and other black Methodists left St. George’s church after being pulled from their knees during prayer because they had supposedly chosen the wrong seats in the new balcony. Asbury supported Allen’s creation of a separate black Methodist church in Philadelphia, called Bethel, by appointing Garrettson presiding elder in 1793 and preaching the dedication sermon at Bethel.Less

“Weighed in the balances”

John Wigger

Published in print: 2009-12-01

Asbury’s physical breakdown in 1793 offered him the opportunity to reconnect with a group he had neglected for several years, African American Methodists. As a result, he came to realize that they were often better off meeting by themselves, apart from white supervision. Richard Allen’s ministry in Philadelphia offered an example of what black Methodists could accomplish. Born a slave, Allen earned his freedom after his master had been convicted of the moral evil of slavery by Freeborn Garrettson. In a famous incident, Allen and other black Methodists left St. George’s church after being pulled from their knees during prayer because they had supposedly chosen the wrong seats in the new balcony. Asbury supported Allen’s creation of a separate black Methodist church in Philadelphia, called Bethel, by appointing Garrettson presiding elder in 1793 and preaching the dedication sermon at Bethel.

Asbury had become so well known that letters from Europe could be addressed simply to “Francis Asbury.” A sustained revival swept across American Methodism beginning in 1800, radiating outward from ...
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Asbury had become so well known that letters from Europe could be addressed simply to “Francis Asbury.” A sustained revival swept across American Methodism beginning in 1800, radiating outward from two epicenters: the Cumberland region and the Delmarva Peninsula. The revival led to a schism in Philadelphia in 1801, pitting a minority of relatively wealthy Methodists on one side and a poorer majority on the other. The wealthier faction eventually left the church to form the short-lived United Societies. Stuck in Philadelphia with an injured foot, Asbury generally sided with the poorer faction, but regretted any involvement in the affair. Still in poor health, Asbury left Philadelphia in July 1801 and made his way south. He was disappointed that the revival had not extended into South Carolina.Less

“The garden of God”

John Wigger

Published in print: 2009-12-01

Asbury had become so well known that letters from Europe could be addressed simply to “Francis Asbury.” A sustained revival swept across American Methodism beginning in 1800, radiating outward from two epicenters: the Cumberland region and the Delmarva Peninsula. The revival led to a schism in Philadelphia in 1801, pitting a minority of relatively wealthy Methodists on one side and a poorer majority on the other. The wealthier faction eventually left the church to form the short-lived United Societies. Stuck in Philadelphia with an injured foot, Asbury generally sided with the poorer faction, but regretted any involvement in the affair. Still in poor health, Asbury left Philadelphia in July 1801 and made his way south. He was disappointed that the revival had not extended into South Carolina.

Asbury arrived in Philadelphia in October 1771. He soon concluded that Joseph Pilmore and Richard Boardman, preachers sent by John Wesley in 1769, had limited themselves too much to New York City and ...
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Asbury arrived in Philadelphia in October 1771. He soon concluded that Joseph Pilmore and Richard Boardman, preachers sent by John Wesley in 1769, had limited themselves too much to New York City and Philadelphia and had not consistently applied Wesley’s standards of discipline, particularly by allowing nonmembers to attend without joining a class meeting. Asbury’s views concerning discipline frequently put him at odds with Pilmore and lay leaders in the North. Asbury felt more comfortable among southern Methodists, most of whom lived in Maryland and whose zeal and commitment to discipline often seemed more genuine than in the North. Asbury initially welcomed the arrival of Thomas Rankin and George Shadford, preachers sent by Wesley in 1773. Rankin in particular was known as a firm disciplinarian.Less

The Promise of Discipline

John Wigger

Published in print: 2009-12-01

Asbury arrived in Philadelphia in October 1771. He soon concluded that Joseph Pilmore and Richard Boardman, preachers sent by John Wesley in 1769, had limited themselves too much to New York City and Philadelphia and had not consistently applied Wesley’s standards of discipline, particularly by allowing nonmembers to attend without joining a class meeting. Asbury’s views concerning discipline frequently put him at odds with Pilmore and lay leaders in the North. Asbury felt more comfortable among southern Methodists, most of whom lived in Maryland and whose zeal and commitment to discipline often seemed more genuine than in the North. Asbury initially welcomed the arrival of Thomas Rankin and George Shadford, preachers sent by Wesley in 1773. Rankin in particular was known as a firm disciplinarian.

Chapter One introduces the Hodge family of Philadelphia from its immigration in the 1740s from Ireland to its rise to prominence as one of the city’s most powerful merchant families. Andrew Hodge was ...
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Chapter One introduces the Hodge family of Philadelphia from its immigration in the 1740s from Ireland to its rise to prominence as one of the city’s most powerful merchant families. Andrew Hodge was the great patriarch of the family through its most successful years in international trade. He also became involved in American politics around the time of the Revolution. The Hodges married into other affluent Philadelphia families including the politically important Bayards and socially prominent McCullochs.Less

Andrew Hodge, Family Patriarch

Paul C. Gutjahr

Published in print: 2011-03-02

Chapter One introduces the Hodge family of Philadelphia from its immigration in the 1740s from Ireland to its rise to prominence as one of the city’s most powerful merchant families. Andrew Hodge was the great patriarch of the family through its most successful years in international trade. He also became involved in American politics around the time of the Revolution. The Hodges married into other affluent Philadelphia families including the politically important Bayards and socially prominent McCullochs.

This chapter introduces fifteen diverse Protestant churches noted for their community outreach, in the context of their Philadelphia religious ecology. The 237 programs sponsored by these case study ...
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This chapter introduces fifteen diverse Protestant churches noted for their community outreach, in the context of their Philadelphia religious ecology. The 237 programs sponsored by these case study churches are analyzed based on definitions of the key terms “social action” and “evangelism”. Social action includes four basic categories: relief services, personal development, community development, and systemic change. While individualistic, immediate aid tends to predominate over structural approaches to social problems, the amount and type of social ministry to emerge at a given church defies easy prediction. Among the churches studied, a strong emphasis on evangelism does not necessarily preclude involvement in social concerns.Less

The Churches and Their Ministries

Heidi Rolland UnruhRonald J. Sider

Published in print: 2005-09-01

This chapter introduces fifteen diverse Protestant churches noted for their community outreach, in the context of their Philadelphia religious ecology. The 237 programs sponsored by these case study churches are analyzed based on definitions of the key terms “social action” and “evangelism”. Social action includes four basic categories: relief services, personal development, community development, and systemic change. While individualistic, immediate aid tends to predominate over structural approaches to social problems, the amount and type of social ministry to emerge at a given church defies easy prediction. Among the churches studied, a strong emphasis on evangelism does not necessarily preclude involvement in social concerns.

This chapter highlights eight of the case study churches selected from the Philadelphia area. The narratives focus on how these churches define their mission, particularly in terms of the ...
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This chapter highlights eight of the case study churches selected from the Philadelphia area. The narratives focus on how these churches define their mission, particularly in terms of the relationship between social action and evangelism, and put their theological beliefs into action through community outreach. As a complement to their stories, the chapter presents survey data on church members' motivations and beliefs relevant to outreach, as well as their reported rates of actual practices of evangelism, informal acts of compassion and civic involvement.Less

Case Studies of Faith in Action

Heidi Rolland UnruhRonald J. Sider

Published in print: 2005-09-01

This chapter highlights eight of the case study churches selected from the Philadelphia area. The narratives focus on how these churches define their mission, particularly in terms of the relationship between social action and evangelism, and put their theological beliefs into action through community outreach. As a complement to their stories, the chapter presents survey data on church members' motivations and beliefs relevant to outreach, as well as their reported rates of actual practices of evangelism, informal acts of compassion and civic involvement.

The term “faith-based organizations” is inadequate because no clear definition exists of what it means to be “faith-based”. This chapter proposes an inductively derived typology to capture the ...
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The term “faith-based organizations” is inadequate because no clear definition exists of what it means to be “faith-based”. This chapter proposes an inductively derived typology to capture the religious characteristics of social service organizations and programs. The analysis focuses on the tangible, overt ways that religion may be manifest in a nonprofit entity, yielding six types: faith-permeated, faith-centered, faith-affiliated, faith-background, faith-secular partnership, and secular. The model is multidimensional, recognizing that the religious characteristics of an institution may differ from the specific programs it operates. Examples are drawn from the Philadelphia area to illustrate each type of organization and program.Less

A Typology of Faith-Based Organizations and Programs

Heidi Rolland UnruhRonald J. Sider

Published in print: 2005-09-01

The term “faith-based organizations” is inadequate because no clear definition exists of what it means to be “faith-based”. This chapter proposes an inductively derived typology to capture the religious characteristics of social service organizations and programs. The analysis focuses on the tangible, overt ways that religion may be manifest in a nonprofit entity, yielding six types: faith-permeated, faith-centered, faith-affiliated, faith-background, faith-secular partnership, and secular. The model is multidimensional, recognizing that the religious characteristics of an institution may differ from the specific programs it operates. Examples are drawn from the Philadelphia area to illustrate each type of organization and program.

This book examines the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships were made to seem ...
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This book examines the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships were made to seem natural and which were not, is based on fieldwork in three Philadelphia churches: Oak Grove Church, Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Church of Christ. The fieldwork was conducted in the early 1990s.Less

Fieldwork

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

This book examines the relationship between conservative Protestants and social power in the U.S. The book, which is particularly concerned with which sorts of power relationships were made to seem natural and which were not, is based on fieldwork in three Philadelphia churches: Oak Grove Church, Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Church of Christ. The fieldwork was conducted in the early 1990s.

During the early 1990s, when the fieldwork upon which this book is based was conducted, economic conditions in Philadelphia were not good. Jobs were relatively scarce and the city's cultural and ...
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During the early 1990s, when the fieldwork upon which this book is based was conducted, economic conditions in Philadelphia were not good. Jobs were relatively scarce and the city's cultural and educational institutions usually seemed short of cash. Life in the city was characterized by relatively high rates of violence and crime. At that time, there was a great deal of segregation – racial, ethnic, and economic ℃ in Philadelphia.Less

Philadelphia

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

During the early 1990s, when the fieldwork upon which this book is based was conducted, economic conditions in Philadelphia were not good. Jobs were relatively scarce and the city's cultural and educational institutions usually seemed short of cash. Life in the city was characterized by relatively high rates of violence and crime. At that time, there was a great deal of segregation – racial, ethnic, and economic ℃ in Philadelphia.

Oak Grove Church and the school that was associated with it (Oak Grove Christian Academy) were located in Olney – a Philadelphia neighborhood that had once been solidly working class, but which had ...
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Oak Grove Church and the school that was associated with it (Oak Grove Christian Academy) were located in Olney – a Philadelphia neighborhood that had once been solidly working class, but which had in more recent decades fallen on hard times. Oak Grove Church and Oak Grove Christian Academy were both rooted in the traditions of fundamentalism. Both institutions embodied many of the attitudes associated with the New Christian Right. Although the church and the school were not places where people were taught that Christians always ought to do what corporations want them to do, they were places where the free enterprise system was greatly respected. The school and the church were also places where the importance of submitting to the authority of teachers and ministers was emphasized consistently. Both the school and the church naturalized the authority of men, of heterosexuals, and of nation‐states.Less

Oak Grove Church

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

Oak Grove Church and the school that was associated with it (Oak Grove Christian Academy) were located in Olney – a Philadelphia neighborhood that had once been solidly working class, but which had in more recent decades fallen on hard times. Oak Grove Church and Oak Grove Christian Academy were both rooted in the traditions of fundamentalism. Both institutions embodied many of the attitudes associated with the New Christian Right. Although the church and the school were not places where people were taught that Christians always ought to do what corporations want them to do, they were places where the free enterprise system was greatly respected. The school and the church were also places where the importance of submitting to the authority of teachers and ministers was emphasized consistently. Both the school and the church naturalized the authority of men, of heterosexuals, and of nation‐states.

The Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, a congregation that deeply valued the traditions of the Anabaptists, was located in a section of West Philadelphia that was not at all prosperous. Many of the ...
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The Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, a congregation that deeply valued the traditions of the Anabaptists, was located in a section of West Philadelphia that was not at all prosperous. Many of the people associated with the fellowship were devoted to “traditional family values” and many of them believed that homosexuality was a sin. The congregation was not, by any means, made up exclusively of people who were thoroughgoing feminists. Nevertheless, the Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship was a place where patriarchal norms were sometimes interrogated. It was also a place where people were taught that Christians sometimes ought to resist the power of nation‐states and of corporations. At the Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, forms of hierarchy associated with ministerial authority were viewed with suspicion.Less

The Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

The Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, a congregation that deeply valued the traditions of the Anabaptists, was located in a section of West Philadelphia that was not at all prosperous. Many of the people associated with the fellowship were devoted to “traditional family values” and many of them believed that homosexuality was a sin. The congregation was not, by any means, made up exclusively of people who were thoroughgoing feminists. Nevertheless, the Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship was a place where patriarchal norms were sometimes interrogated. It was also a place where people were taught that Christians sometimes ought to resist the power of nation‐states and of corporations. At the Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, forms of hierarchy associated with ministerial authority were viewed with suspicion.

The Philadelphia Church of Christ, a congregation associated with a movement called the International Churches of Christ, put a great deal of emphasis on the importance of rapid church growth. The ...
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The Philadelphia Church of Christ, a congregation associated with a movement called the International Churches of Christ, put a great deal of emphasis on the importance of rapid church growth. The congregation was a place where people were taught that it is a mistake for Christians to pour too much energy into resisting the power of nation‐states or corporations. At the Philadelphia Church of Christ, people were taught that it is natural for women to defer to men and for homosexuals to defer to heterosexuals. People were taught, too, that it is imperative for Christians to unhesitatingly follow directions given to them by ministers and by other church authorities.Less

The Philadelphia Church of Christ

David Harrington Watt

Published in print: 2002-03-28

The Philadelphia Church of Christ, a congregation associated with a movement called the International Churches of Christ, put a great deal of emphasis on the importance of rapid church growth. The congregation was a place where people were taught that it is a mistake for Christians to pour too much energy into resisting the power of nation‐states or corporations. At the Philadelphia Church of Christ, people were taught that it is natural for women to defer to men and for homosexuals to defer to heterosexuals. People were taught, too, that it is imperative for Christians to unhesitatingly follow directions given to them by ministers and by other church authorities.

This chapter explores the interplay of economics and religion in the publishing efforts of the early Bible and tract societies. It describes how religions publishers found ways to deal with the ...
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This chapter explores the interplay of economics and religion in the publishing efforts of the early Bible and tract societies. It describes how religions publishers found ways to deal with the central economic problem: how to run a successful marketing and manufacturing business whose goal was to give a away rather than sell a product; a business whose most needy customers were least likely to desire the product. The economic nature of the new mass media, as well as the special economic nature of religion itself are examined. Emphasis is given to the pioneering work of the New England Tract Society (1814-1825) and the Bible Society of Philadelphia (1808-1815).Less

The New Mass Media : Economic Foundations

David Paul Nord

Published in print: 2004-09-02

This chapter explores the interplay of economics and religion in the publishing efforts of the early Bible and tract societies. It describes how religions publishers found ways to deal with the central economic problem: how to run a successful marketing and manufacturing business whose goal was to give a away rather than sell a product; a business whose most needy customers were least likely to desire the product. The economic nature of the new mass media, as well as the special economic nature of religion itself are examined. Emphasis is given to the pioneering work of the New England Tract Society (1814-1825) and the Bible Society of Philadelphia (1808-1815).

The cities of eighteenth‐century America were crucial for the coming of the American Revolution. This book focuses closely on political mobilization in colonial British America's five most populous ...
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The cities of eighteenth‐century America were crucial for the coming of the American Revolution. This book focuses closely on political mobilization in colonial British America's five most populous cities, from 1740 to 1780. It particularly examines the Boston waterfront community, New York City taverns, Newport churches and congregations, the elite households of Charleston, and the gatherings outside the Philadelphia State House and State House Yard. Because of their tight concentrations of people and diverse mixture of inhabitants, the largest cities offered fertile ground for political consciousness, political persuasion, and political action. The book traces how everyday interactions in taverns, wharves, and elsewhere slowly developed into more serious political activity. Ultimately, the residents of cities became the first to voice their discontent. Merchants began meeting to discuss the repercussions of new laws, printers fired up provocative pamphlets, and protesters took to the streets. Indeed, the cities became the flashpoints for legislative protests, committee meetings, massive outdoor gatherings, newspaper harangues, boycotts, customs evasion, violence and riots‐all of which laid the groundwork for war. By focusing on some of the most pivotal events of the eighteenth century as they unfolded in the most dynamic places in America, this book illuminates how city dwellers joined in various forms of political participation that helped make the Revolution possible.Less

Rebels Rising : Cities and the American Revolution

Benjamin L. Carp

Published in print: 2007-09-01

The cities of eighteenth‐century America were crucial for the coming of the American Revolution. This book focuses closely on political mobilization in colonial British America's five most populous cities, from 1740 to 1780. It particularly examines the Boston waterfront community, New York City taverns, Newport churches and congregations, the elite households of Charleston, and the gatherings outside the Philadelphia State House and State House Yard. Because of their tight concentrations of people and diverse mixture of inhabitants, the largest cities offered fertile ground for political consciousness, political persuasion, and political action. The book traces how everyday interactions in taverns, wharves, and elsewhere slowly developed into more serious political activity. Ultimately, the residents of cities became the first to voice their discontent. Merchants began meeting to discuss the repercussions of new laws, printers fired up provocative pamphlets, and protesters took to the streets. Indeed, the cities became the flashpoints for legislative protests, committee meetings, massive outdoor gatherings, newspaper harangues, boycotts, customs evasion, violence and riots‐all of which laid the groundwork for war. By focusing on some of the most pivotal events of the eighteenth century as they unfolded in the most dynamic places in America, this book illuminates how city dwellers joined in various forms of political participation that helped make the Revolution possible.

In January 1797, Thomas Jordan, clerk of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Quarter of the North Carolina Yearly Meeting, sent a printed copy of a bill that had been proposed in the North Carolina ...
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In January 1797, Thomas Jordan, clerk of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Quarter of the North Carolina Yearly Meeting, sent a printed copy of a bill that had been proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly to John Elliott of the Philadelphia Society of Friends. Jordan wanted to show the Pennsylvania Friends “the disposition of some of our Legislators.” Even though it never became law, the bill is of historical interest because the behaviors the bill's author intended to regulate suggest steps North Carolina Friends were taking to avoid the re-enslavement of blacks they had freed.Less

1797 : A Bill to Thwart Quaker Manumissions

Michael J. Crawford

Published in print: 2010-06-01

In January 1797, Thomas Jordan, clerk of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Quarter of the North Carolina Yearly Meeting, sent a printed copy of a bill that had been proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly to John Elliott of the Philadelphia Society of Friends. Jordan wanted to show the Pennsylvania Friends “the disposition of some of our Legislators.” Even though it never became law, the bill is of historical interest because the behaviors the bill's author intended to regulate suggest steps North Carolina Friends were taking to avoid the re-enslavement of blacks they had freed.